Socket and test apparatus

Abstract

A socket electrically coupled to a BGA unit includes a plurality of ball contacts including a housing wherein a through-hole having a larger diameter than that of the ball contact is formed in a surface of the housing, which faces the BGA unit, in order to the through-hole corresponds the plurality of ball contacts and a pin contact provided in a plurality of through-holes and contacting a corresponding side part of the ball contact. More desirably, the plurality of pin contacts is provided in order that each extending directions of the pin contacts are opposite to one another.

1 .- 8 . (canceled)  
   
   
       9 . A socket electrically coupled to a BGA unit, which includes a ball contact, comprising: 
 a housing including a through-hole formed in a surface thereof facing said BGA unit at a position corresponding to said ball contact, said through-hole having a larger diameter than that of said ball contact: and    a pin contact provided in said through-hole and contacting a side part of said corresponding ball contact,    wherein said housing holds said pin contact so that said pin contact is freely movable in a contact direction in which said pin contact is coupled to said ball contact.    
   
   
       10 . The socket as claimed in  claim 9 , further comprising a locking sheet fixed in order to cover a rear face of said housing, 
 wherein an opening is formed in a position of said locking sheet corresponding to said pin contact,    said pin contact includes a projecting piece section, which is wider than said opening, and    an area of said pin contact, which is lower than said projecting piece section, is narrower than said opening.    
   
   
       11 . The socket as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein 
 a fitting groove, into which a part of said pin contact is inserted, is formed on said rear face of said housing,    said pin contact comprises: 
 a locking section, of which a part is inserted into said fitting groove;  
 a curved face section including a curved face that is in contact with said ball contact; and  
 an elastic section extending from said locking section to said curved face section and having an elastic restoring force, and  
 said projecting piece section is formed in an upper part of a first area of said locking section, which is inserted into said fitting groove, and a second area of said locking section is narrower than said opening.  
   
   
   
       12 . The socket as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein 
 said opening is formed in a position of said locking sheet corresponding to said locking section in order that said opening is wider than said locking section,    said locking section comprises an area inserted into said fitting groove and an area substantially parallel to said rear face of said housing, and    said pin contact further comprises a board-side contacting section formed on a bottom face of an area of said locking section, which is substantially parallel to said rear face of said housing, and contacting an external board which is electrically coupled to said BGA unit.    
   
   
       13 .- 22 . (canceled)  
   
   
       23 . The socket as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said fitting groove slants corresponding to an arranging direction of said through-hole and extends in a direction opposite that of the adjacent through-hole.  
   
   
       24 . The socket as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said curved face section of said pin contact comprises an apex in a direction from said housing and said pin contact is displaced such that the apex is located between an edge and the centre of the opening.  
   
   
       25 . The socket as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein a distance from the apex to the centre of the opening of said through-hole and a distance from the apex to a side of the through-hole is substantially in a ratio of 1 to 3.  
   
   
       26 . A socket electrically coupled to a BGA unit, which includes a ball contact, comprising: 
 a housing including a through-hole formed in a surface thereof facing said BGA unit at a position corresponding to said ball contact, said through-hole having a larger diameter than that of said ball contact;    a pin contact provided in said through-hole and contacting a side part of said corresponding ball contact, said pin contact comprising: 
 a locking section locked on a rear face of said housing.  
 a curved face section including a curved face to be in contact with said ball contact, and  
 an elastic section extending from said locking section to said curved face section and having an elastic restoring force: and  
   a contact holding section, which is integrally formed with a side face of said through-hole, for determining an angle of said elastic section by contacting said elastic section from said locking section side in a state that said pin contact is not in contact with said ball contact,    wherein said contact holding section comprises a protrusion for determining a distance from said elastic section to the side face of said through-hole.    
   
   
       27 . A socket electrically coupled to a BGA unit, which includes a ball contact, comprising: 
 a housing including a through-hole formed in a surface thereof facing said BGA unit at a position corresponding to said ball contact, said through-hole having a larger diameter than that of said ball contact;    a pin contact provided in said through-hole and contacting a side part of said corresponding ball contact, said pin contact comprising: 
 a locking section locked on a rear face of said housing,  
 a curved face section including a curved face to be in contact with said ball contact, and  
 an elastic section extending from said locking section to said curved face section and having an elastic restoring force; and  
   wherein said locking section comprises a projecting piece formed at both ends of an upper part thereof and protruding in a width direction, said projecting piece is wider than the elastic section and the curved face section.    
   
   
       28 . A socket as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein said locking section comprises a notch, wherein both ends of the lower part are notched.  
   
   
       29 . A socket electrically coupled to a BGA unit, which includes a ball contact, comprising: 
 a housing including a through-hole formed in a surface thereof facing said BGA unit at a position corresponding to said ball contact, said through-hole having a larger diameter than that of said ball contact: and    a pin contact provided in said through-hole and contacting a side part of said corresponding ball contact. said pin contact comprising: 
 a locking section locked on a rear face of said housing,  
 a curved face section including a curved face to be in contact with said ball contact: and  
 an elastic section extending from said locking section to said curved face section and having an elastic restoring force,  
   wherein said pin contact comprises a locking claw formed in said locking section.    
   
   
       30 . The socket as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein said locking claw is formed by forming a cut-off on three sides out of four sides of a square having a desirable size and depressing the area forming the cut-off.  
   
   
       31 . The socket as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said housing is formed of an insulating material.  
   
   
       32 . The socket as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein said curved section is formed with a streak trench or a plurality of a projected structure.  
   
   
       33 . The socket as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein 
 said housing further comprises a protruding section protruding towards said pin contact on a lower part of a fitting groove, which is provided on said rear face of said housing and a part of said pin contact is inserted therein,    said pin contact further comprises a board-side contacting section formed on a bottom face of an area of said locking section, which is substantially parallel to said rear face of said housing, and electrically contacting an external board, which is electrically coupled to said BGA unit,    said locking section is inserted into said fitting groove, and    said locking claw protrudes towards said protruding section.